Harlequin
by et ully
Summary: Set before Twilight began. Aro has been around for over a millennium, but he still hasn't ever made a fledgling of his own. That all changes when he sees a young man perform on stage. His throat and heart burn with a fire he's never known.
1. Red and Black

Aro&Demetri

Rated T for mild language, some violence, and scenes of sensuality.

_Set before Twilight began. Aro has been around for over a millennium, but he still hasn't ever made a fledgling of his own. That all changes when he sees a young man perform on stage. His throat and heart burn with a fire he's never known._

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Aro had traveled to Venice to see what he was told was the best Commedia dell'arte in all of Italy. The group was so profitable and had built up such a fan base that they decided to have a permanent home in Venice.

Aro traveled by carriage. He said he did it because it cut down the risk of a human seeing him run with superhuman speed. But, the true reason he rode in a carriage was because he enjoyed being royalty. Only the people who were well-known and rich traveled the way he did. Of course, he was and could only ever be the latter of the criteria. That upset him, but he would never let anyone know that.

At least his brethren knew the great and powerful Volturi Coven. They all could name their unchallenged leader. Aro thrived when he felt important; He drank power like a mortal drank wine. However, he did enjoy walking around with humans. Aro liked to pretend he was one of them. It was a delicate task, but he always managed to pull it off with his signature flair.

Tonight he's going to sit and laugh with mortals. Aro will soak it up. Being the anonymous nobody is almost as nourishing as being the king.

Aro smiled and placed a brimmed hat on his head. He slanted it downwards so a shadow was cast on his crimson eyes. He laughed quietly when his mind thought of all the unsuspecting mortals. They had no idea a predator was in their midst. Bowing his head slightly he walked out of the carriage and into the dark streets of Venice.

Lamps were lit all the way to the stage. The light bounced off hard surfaces and gave the walkway a surreal effect.

"Stay here until I get back from the performance." Aro spoke to the carriage driver who worked for the Volturi and was still very human. Her name was Julia and she begged for a chance to stay in the castle with them. _And who, _Aro thought, _am I to turn down the dreams of someone?_ So, he didn't. He let the woman stay and be a drone of some sort for his coven.

"Of course, master." Julia responded with devout solemnity.

"Good girl." Aro's tone was condescending. If the woman was bothered by this she didn't show it in the slightest way.

When Aro got to the stage all of the performers were already standing up in their costumes and ready to perform.

There were the two innarmorati, Lelio and Isabella, they were the main characters and gathered the most applause. The youthful lovers were dressed in light garbs and wore just enough makeup to accent their eyes.

A woman was dressed as the mask Pantalone. She wore a tight suit that was in a single piece and a face that had painted on wrinkles. Her long red hair was tucked up in cap.

Arlecchino was portrayed by a young man. He was slender and had a somber face that clashed with his character's personality. On his costume were red and black diamonds. He held a dark stick in one hand and a small book in the other. A mask was over his face that was black and had features in red.

Last on the stage was Pulcinella. He was a man wearing white attire. Eyebrows were painted on him to make him look conniving. A longer nose was also attached to his face.

All of the actors bowed and began to go along with their act. The plot was simple, the fair haired innarmorati were planning to elope, but Pantalone stopped then and told Isabella's father. She was locked away, but Arlecchino came and helped her escape. Pulcinella put obstacles in the way of every character. In the end, the couple was happily married.

The story wasn't that spectacular, but the performance was. Both Lelio and Arlecchino recited poetry with adept skill. Isabella sang beautifully. Both Pantalone and Pulcinella were constantly making jokes and puns that made the audience laugh in amusement. Arlecchino was always doing nimble flips, somersaults, and cartwheels much to the crowd's enjoyment.

When the act was finally done the cast stood up on the stage and bowed once more. Aro applauded with spirit, much like everyone else in the audience.

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_I apologize for the slow start. The next chapter will have more plot and less details._

_Anyone know where Lelio&Isabella came from? First one to answer gets a cookie._

_Please leave a review; it makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. ^^__  
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	2. Downpour

_Aro can't help himself. What kind of a person doesn't talk to his fans?_

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The stage was still lit up, but costumes and props were thrown about. It was like the aftermath of a large celebration.

"Stay for a while and meet the people behind masks." A booming voice declared.

"Yes." Aro responded quietly. "I believe I will do just that."

All of the actors and actresses came and shook hands with the audience. The cast smudged off their makeup and became more serious. They were no longer their masks; they were professionals who had just finished their job.

Aro, who was feeling giddy, went up to each and told them how much he loved the play. The two actresses smiled and thanked him for coming. The men playing Lelio and Pulcinella nodded and shook his hand. However, the actor of Arlecchino ignored him. In fact, the young man ignored all of the fans.

The vampire was very patient, as anyone would have been with as much life experience.

"Sir!" Aro called out to the actor. "I believe you must not have heard me. I was telling you how much I enjoyed your performance."

"I heard you just fine." Arlecchino's voice was detached. The young man didn't even turn around to see who the voice had come from. If had turned around he would have seen burgundy eyes melt into black.

Aro sighed and walked to his cart. Julia smiled at him.

"Take me to the nearest inn." The ancient vampire's voice had lost its airy quality.

"Of course." The human batted her eyelashes. "When would you like me to pick you up?"

"Don't"

"How will you get back to Volterra, master?" Aro smiled at Julia's lack of knowledge. _Did she think vampires were as worthless as humans? Did she really think he was as helpless as a mortal?_ He laughed involuntarily.

"I'll manage." He looked into Julia's eyes and winked.

"Yes, sir." She blushed.

When Aro arrived at the extravagant inn his thoughts were troubled. He hadn't thought out his future actions. This required planning. He wasn't just going to pick off some whore in alley. He was doing something he hadn't ever done; he was choosing discriminately.

Finding nourishment was one matter. But, killing was something else entirely. Drinking the blood afterward wouldn't make it acceptable.

He swallowed and closed his eyes. _He's just a boy. He doesn't deserve to die._ Aro's eyes grew dark again.

"Oh, who does?"

The vampire flitted out into the street. The clouds had twisted and become murky. A downpour was just beginning. The water felt nice in his raven hair. He wiped the rain from his face.

"Shouldn't stay out too long in the rain." He spoke under his breath. "I wouldn't want to catch a sickness."

He beamed and made his way to the home of the Commedia dell'arte.

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_Sorry for the short chapter. More action next time._

_Please read & review. It makes my eyes blink. ^_~  
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	3. Frenzied Death

_Aro goes to kill the actor who plays Arlecchino._

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The building was less than faultless. Aro scoffed quietly when he compared the residence to his not so modest home in Voltaire. The beige bricks were crumbling in a few places and the wood beneath the widows was slightly deteriorated. The colors were all off; they made the building the color of sullied water.

Aro carefully walked along the side of the Commedia dell'arte and peered into a windows mostly covered by tapestries. He repeated the task until he came across the room of the beast that played Arlecchino. The boy was wearing his night clothes, a loose button up shirt that went down to his thighs and white tights. He reclined on a mattress and read a book with a dark cover.

Aro grazed his resilient fingernails across the glass too quickly for any human eye to see. The resulting sound was eerie and harsh. Arlecchino looked up with a wild look in his eyes. He reached under his mattress and grabbed a knife without any hesitation. Aro could hear his heart palpitate and his lungs quicken. The boy stood up quietly and tried to slow his breath so that that he would not be heard.

Arlecchino sat back down. He had convinced himself that it was only a branch scraping against his window and nothing more. If only he had known that it was an intruder with the intent of stealing his life away. Aro's lips pulled back in a haughty grin that would make any onlooker shudder.

With a piercing noise Aro dug his fingernails into the window. The glass shattered and fell around his hand.

"Arlecchino…" Aro's voice was smooth and soft as he spoke to the young man. The human's eyes grew wide and darted around the room with frenzy.

"Show yourself! Be a man and show yourself, pretty intruder." Arlecchino's voice broke with anxiety as he grappled for his knife again.

The vampire maneuvered through the window and stood in front of the boy with a careless valor.

The actor who played Arlecchino was wholly pale and insipid as he watched Aro's form appear before him. The young man's eyes were a deep brown that reflected light as if they were mirrors. His hair was dark and brushed at his shoulders in multiple layers. His lips were broad and with pink tint; they parted involuntarily.

"What do you want?" Arlecchino's mouth had trouble forming the words.

"What do I want?" Aro's eyebrows rose as he spoke with mockery. "All I want from you is a good fight." His white hands gestured to the bow seated on the mattress.

"And what if I won't give it to you?" The young man's eyes were dewy.

The vampire lunged forward and grasped at Arlecchino's neck. Sounds effused from the boy into Aro's ears like music. Every thought the boy had ever dared to let pass through his mind flowed into Aro like the wind. Not one secret was left unknown.

His name was Demetri. He was nineteen and he was the son of a poor couple in Florence. He hated the color burgundy and couldn't stand milk. Despite his pretty face and talent for acting everyone he had ever met made him feel useless. His favorite stone was sapphire and when he was sixteen he had gone to a bazaar and stole a sapphire pendant. He felt guilty, but he has worn it around his neck every day since.

The vampire's teeth tore into Demetri's translucent neck. Crimson split on the off-white mattress and the light wood floors. Aro placed his arms around the boy in a fatal embrace while the hot blood flowed down his throat. He grew ravenous as the elixir poured onto his pallet and the scent attacked him.

Demetri's heart beat faster as he felt his life grow distant. All the while, the boy's thoughts were cascading against the vampire in an effort to evoke empathy or anything that might save his life. Demetri's fingers grew cold and lost feeling as his blood was being drained from him.

"—Stop…" The boy's lips were ashen.

Aro pulled back just before Demetri's heart was about to surrender. Red coated his lips and crept downwards to the earth. The vampire took hold of Demetri and put the boy in his arms.

He flitted all the way to Voltaire without once pausing to think of what he was doing or what was going to happen. What was going to happen? Aro entered the home of the Volturi coven and laid Demetri down on the floor tenderly.

"Just perfect, Aro. Of all the night you could have made a fledgling you chose this one." Marcus' deep voice was calm, yet irritated.

Aro turned around to respond to his brother's cross words. Lying next to Marcus was an olive skinned man who was still a mortal. His neck was bleeding in the same way Demetri's was.

"Sorry, brother." Aro lips pursed. "But, whoever said that rearing a fledgling alone is best was wrong."

"I'll guess we'll see." Marcus sighed as he went over to examine Demetri.

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_I was originally going to make Marcus' new fledgling Afton, but I figured Felix would make more since. Do you agree?_

_Please read and review!_


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